Hydraulic shock absorber



y 1940' F. e. G. ARMSTRONG 2,206,800

HYDRAULIC SHOCK ABSORBER F'iledNov. 19, 19-38 3 Sheets-Sheet l July 2, 1940. F. G. e. ARMSTRONG 2,206,300

HYDRAULIC sHocK ABSORBER Filed Nov. 19, 1938 s Sheets-Sheet 2 y 1940- F. e. e. ARMSTRONG 2,206,800

HYDRAULIC SHOCK ABS ORBER Filed Nov. 19, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 25 ment. 4 tal plane containing the axis of rotation of the 25 said normal position. 4 45 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Fullerton George Gordon Armstrong, Beverley, 3 England, assignorto The Armstrongs Patents Company Limited; Beverley, England 4 4 Application November 19, 1933, Serial No. 241,440 4 In Great Britain January 25, 1938 3 Claims.- (01. 188-88) The present invention relates to hydraulic compression stroke and the other piston at the shock absorbers and the like differential pressure 4 end of its suction stroke. 4

operated damping means of the type adapted 4 Figure 3 is a diagrammatic sectional view of a for use as auxiliaries to springsin thesuspension modified form of construction showing the pis- 5 of vehicle bodies andwherein one or moreretons in their normal position. 4 5 striated passages form. a" resistance to fluid flow In the construction according to Figures 1.

between the parallel cylinders of,a pair of .pisand 2, a shock absorber casing ID has brackets tons or plungers on longitudinal displacement II by which it is mounted on the body of a veof the latter under the control of an angularly hicle. The end l2 of a lever I3 is connected by displaceable lever or crank operatively connected a link or other suitable means, not shown, to for engaging with the pistons. 4 a wheel of a vehicle, the opposite end of the lever In the spring suspension of vehicle bodies on 13 being connected to a shaft [4 which is angu-y wheels the springs are loadedto apredetermined larly displaced with the lever; The shaft cardegree in order to maintain the body in equiries a crank l5 which has nose pieces l6, IT, on 15 librium under normal circumstances of use. opposite sides of the axis: of the shaft for en- 15 When, however, one or more wheels of a vehicle gagement respectively with pistons l8, [9 which meet an obstructionirr the road along which it are displaceable, with clearance foroil leakage, is travelling which causes relative inward movewithin cylinders 20, 2|. ment of the wheel or wheels and the vehicle The arrangement is such that with a vertically. body, the springsbecome loaded to a greaterexdisposed shock absorber casing I0 and in the g0 tent with the result that on returning to their normal position of the pistons as shown in Fignormalpositiom said springs tend to displace ure 1, the nose pieces l6, I! of the crank [5 enthe body relatively to the wheels in a more violent gage with the tops of thepistons l8, l9, respecor rapid manner thanon the said inward movetively in a plane considerably below the horizon- Substantially the same conditions apply when shaft 14. 4 44 relative outward movement of 4 the body and As a result, should the crank rotate in a clockwheels from their normal position occurs, such wise direction a vertical component of downward as for, example, on cornering or when a wheel displacement of the piston I8 is less than the so enters a large pot-hole in the road, in that the vertical component of upward displacement of rebound movement commencing with. the unthe piston I9, this being due to the fact that the supported springs in anunloaded state is more nose piece IS on angular displacement of the violent or rapid than on theoutward movement crank l 5 is not called upon to cross'a horizontally which commences when thespringsare normaldisposed diametral line through the axis of the 1y loaded. 4 shaft I4, whereas theother nosepiece I14 crosses. 35

The primary object of thepresent invention d e in s upward displacement th e y is. to overcome this difficulty and accordingly giving greater Vertical Q mp ent to its movea greater resistance to fluid flow in the shock, merit absorber or the like differential pressure, opers 3 t P r t e P 9 (11-4 ated damping means used in association with re m mtl'clockwllse dn'ectlon the 40 the vehicle springs, is effected on the return nose plece and Its plston uses by a greater movement of either piston in both directions gig descent of e nose ptece towards its normal position thanon the outp d f 4 Compressive movement of the pistons l8, l9 Wm movemen m reverse lrec 1on5 away ram is resisted by springs 22, whilsta valve controlled conduit or bore 23 is providedbetween chambers The mventmn 15 more partmularly descnbed 2|), 2|; This valve controlled bore is shown dia- W reference the ac o pa ying drawings, i grammatically only as it forms no part of the which: R 4 invention which resides in the differential dis: Figure 1 is a diaerammaticview of one form of placement of the pistons l8, IS, on angular moveconstruction with the pistons in their normal ment; of the crank. Accordingly, any form of position. 4 ,4 4 4 passage which may or may not be valve con- 4 Figure 2 is a corresponding diagrammatic view trolled, may be utilised in regulating the flow of the construction according to Figure l but of liquid. between the piston chambers 20, 2|, with ene,piston substantially at the endof its on angula rrotation of thecrank. 4 55 Examination of Figure 2 discloses that the extent of downward displacement of the piston I8 is equal to the dimension A, whilst the upward movement of: the piston I9 is equal to the dimension B which is greater than-that of A. The same difference in piston displacements is effected on reverse rotation of, the crank l5, that is to say the piston l8 ascends from the normal position by a greater amount than the descent of a the piston l 9. This is due to the fact that in this construction the axes of piston displacement are 9 parallel whilst in the normal position of the pistons the nose pieces I6, I! of the crank engage with the pistons in a lateral plane which is nearer the pistons than a'parallel plane passing through the axis of the crank shaft 14.

In operation, during descent of the piston Hi from the normal position and ascent of the piston I9 therefrom, the ascending piston l9 sweeps relief valve 38 may be provided between either or a greater volume of its piston chamber 2| than does the piston 58 of its chamber 20, and as this greater volume is taken up by liquidpassing through the valve controlled bore 23 and by liquid passing from the reservoir 24 through a one way valve 31 in the piston 19, it follows that on the rebound stroke the piston I9 in descending to its normal position under the action of the crank 85 is called upon to displace more fluid thancan be accommodated in the piston chamber 20, with the result that it must force liquid between the wall of either piston and its chamber 20, 2 I, respectively, into the reservoir common to both chambers thereby creating a greater resistance to fluid flow between the cylinders than on the compression stroke of the piston It. In other words, a greater resistance to movement of the pistons I8, H9 is effected on returning to their normal position than on their outward stroke from said normal position.

Exactly the same conditions apply should the crank be initially rotated in the reverse direction due to the fact that the pistons are of similar construction and the shock absorber is symmetrical about its mid-vertical plane between the two cylinders.

In order to enable either piston chamber 2| to receive liquid from the reservoir '24 during the ascent of its piston from the normal position, the pistons may be provided with one-way valves as shown in Figure 3. In order to prevent rotation of the pistons about their own axes within their piston chambers, the upper ends of the pistons are bifurcated as shown in chain dotted lines with the bifurcated portions engaging on 4 opposite sides of the crank [5.

The construction according to Figure 3 operates in a manner similar to that of the construction according to Figures 1 and 2, the only difference between said constructions being that the right and left hand pistons 30, 3l,'are connected by rods 32, 33, respectively with pivot pins 34, 35 at the ends of the crank 36. Each of the pistons in its operative face, has a one-way valve 31. In this construction the distance apart of n the pivot pins 3%, 35 is equal to the spacing of the parallel axes of the pistons 30, 3|, whilst the axes of the pins 34, 35 lie nearer the pistons than a plane extending through the axis of the shaft M in a direction normal to the direction of piston displacement.

It will be appreciated that on the outward stroke of the pistons from their normal position when one piston descends and the other piston ascends in its chamber, the valve 37 of the as- .r cending piston opens to allow fluid to pass-from the reservoir 24 into the piston chamber while the valve in the other piston remains closed.

0n the rebound stroke, however, both valves .3! remain closed due to the fact that the rise -the construction according to Figures 1 and 2, the sole method of escape of excess liquid is between a piston wall and the wall of its cylinder orchamber. a

Preferably and as shown inFigure 3, the valves 31 are spring loaded.

In, order to supplement the leakage between the piston andthe cylinder walls in either form of construction a relatively heavily loaded spring both of the pistons and the recuperating chamberv 24, said relief valveor valves 38 operating in the reverse direction to that of the valves 31 so as to enable-fluid flow from either cylinder to the recuperating chamber when the pressure therein reaches a relatively high degree, Without the possibility of creating a hydraulic lock.

It will be seen that with either construction according to the drawings, at the commencement of rebound, i. e. return movement of the pistons to their normal position, there is applied an increased resistance to piston displacement which relatively'large resistance gradually decreases as the pistons approach their normal position. This favourable, result applies irrespective of whether the vehicle chassis and the wheels are brought together to load the vehicle springs heavily, or are separated and the vehicle springs require additional support. In either event the increased resistance to movement of the shock absorber parts has the eifect of tending to maintain the vehicle springs in that condition consistent with a substantially constant support of the vehicle body on the Wheels.

I declare that what I claim is:

1. Differential pressure operated, damping means for a pair of relatively displaceable members, comprising a casing adapted to be connected to one ofsaid members, a pair of parallel cylinders within said casing. pistons reciprocable in said cylinders with a slight clearance between each piston and its cylinder wall, a valve controlled conduit between said cylinders, a reservoir common to both cylinders in said casing, a

shaft connected to the other of said relatively displaceable members, a crank rigidly connected to said shaft for angular displacement in unison therewith on relative displacement between said displaceable members, and links pivotally connected to said crank with the centers of the pivotal connections disposed below a plane passgreater resistanceto fluid flow on the return movement of either piston in both directions toward its normal position than on the outward movement in reverse directions away from the normal position, the increased volume of sweep of either piston being taken up by leakage of fluid through the slight clearance provided between the walls of either piston and its cylinder into said reservoir only on the return movement of said pistons toward their normal positions.

2. Difierential pressure operated damping means for a pair of relatively displaceable members, comprising a casing adapted to be connected to one of said members, a pair of parallel cylinders within said casing, pistons reciprocable in said cylinders with a slight clearance between the piston and cylinder walls, a valve controlled conduit betweensaid cylinders, a reservoir common to both cylinders in said casing, a shaft connected to the other of said members, a crank rigidly connected to the said shaft for angular displacement in unison therewith on relative displacement between said members, inter-engaging means between said crank and said pistons for ensuring that on angular displacement of said shaft either piston on the suction part of its stroke, away from the normal position of the piston when at the centre of its stroke, sweeps a greater volume of its cylinder than the other i i piston on the compression part of its stroke, in

the opposite direction away from the normal position, whereby a greater resistance to fluid flow on the return movement of either piston towards its normal position following its suction stroke is effected than on the outward movement in the reverse direction away from said normal position, the said increased volume of sweep being taken up by leakage of fluid between the walls of either piston and its cylinder into said reservoir only on return movement of the pistons towards theirnormal positions and resiliently loaded re-'- lief valves in said pistons for supplementing the leakage paths between the walls of said pistons and their cylinders for eliminating the possibility of a hydraulic lock on piston displacement.

3, Difierential pressure operated damping means for a pair of relatively displaceable members, comprising a casing adapted to be connected to one of said members, a pair of parallel cylinders within said casing, pistons reciprocable in said cylinders with a slight clearance between the piston and the cylinder walls, a valve controlled conduit between said cylinders, a reservoir common to both cylinders in said casing, a shaft connected to the other of said members, a crank rigidly connected to the said shaft for angular displacement in unison therewith on relative displacement between said members, inter-engaging means between said crank and said pistons for ensuring that on angular displacement of said shaft either piston on the suction part of its stroke, away from the normal position of the piston when at the centre of its stroke, sweeps a greater volume of its cylinder than the other piston on the compression part of its stroke, in the opposite direction away from the normal position, whereby a greater resistance to fluid flow on the return movement of either piston towards its normal position following its suction stroke is efiected than on the outward movement in thereverse direction away from said normal position, the said increased volume of sweep being taken up by leakage of fluid between the walls of either piston and its cylinder into said reservoir only on return movement of the pistons towards their normal positions, a valve in each piston which opens solely on the suction stroke thereof to allow of fluid flow from said'reservoir to the chamber of the piston when undergoing the suction stroke, and a resiliently loaded relief valve in each piston operating in the reverse direction to that of said first mentioned valves for supplementing the leakage path between a piston wall and the wall of its cylinder.

FULLERTON GEORGE GORDON ARMSTRONG. 

